Vehicle operation method presentation device and method, and vehicle control device

ABSTRACT

A control state of the vehicle is switched upon operation of a control switch. Besides, a mode of travel for a travel of a vehicle is selected by operation of a travel mode selection portion. Then, it is determined whether the recommended control state recommended for the selected mode of travel and the actual control state are the same. If it is determined that they are not the same, that is, that there is a deviation between the recommended control state and the actual control state, an operation method for a control switch for realizing the control state recommended for the selected mode of travel is presented to a driver.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a divisional application of and claims the benefitof priority under 35 U.S.C. §120 from U.S. application Ser. No.12/738,301, filed Apr. 16, 2010, the entire contents of which isincorporated herein by reference. U.S. application Ser. No. 12/738,301is a national stage of International Application No. PCT/IB08/02945,filed Nov. 4, 2008, which is based upon and claims the benefit ofpriority under 35 U.S.C. §119 from Japanese Patent Application No.2007-300933, filed Nov. 20, 2007.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The invention relates to a vehicle operation method presentation deviceand a vehicle control device. In particular, the invention relates tovehicle operation method presentation device and method that present toa driver of a vehicle an operation method for control switches providedfor switching the control state of the vehicle, and to a vehicle controldevice that switches the control state of the vehicle upon operation ofthe control switches.

2. Description of the Related Art

For example, Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 11-344109(JP-A-11-344109) discloses a device that selects a mode of travel at thetime of travel of the vehicle, and restricts the operation of apredetermined control switch according to the selected mode of travel.In this device, for example, when a SNOW mode is selected as the mode oftravel by operating a switch, the speed steps of the transmission thatare selectable by using the shift lever are restricted to the stepsother than “the first speed”. In this case, the drive force that acts onthe wheels on a snow road is restricted, so that it becomes possible toprevent the occurrence of a tire slip and secure appropriate travel ofthe vehicle.

The construction that allows the control state of the vehicle to beimmediately switched to a desired state simply by operating a modeswitch makes it unnecessary for a driver of the vehicle to perform acontrol-switching operation, and is therefore desirable in terms of thesimple and easy switching of the control state of the vehicle. However,there are cases where the control state of the vehicle does not switchmerely by operating the mode switch but it is necessary for the driverof the vehicle to further perform a control-switching operation afteroperating the mode switch in order to switch the vehicle to a desiredcontrol state. Such cases requires, for example, the operation of atransfer lever, a center differential lock switch, etc. That is, in sucha system, it sometimes happens that unless the control-switchingoperation is performed by the driver of the vehicle in addition to thedepression of the mode switch, the vehicle cannot be switched to adesired control state, and it becomes difficult to secure appropriatetravel of the vehicle.

Besides, in some cases, a vehicle is equipped with, in addition to themode switch for switching the mode of travel, individual functionswitches which are each provided, separately from the mode switch, forturning on and off a function that is included in a mode of travel. Anexample of the individual function switches is a 2nd-speed start switchfor causing the available speed step range of the transmission of thevehicle to begin with “the 2nd speed” instead of “the 1st speed”. In thecase where the SNOW mode is selected as the mode of travel by the modeswitch, the control state of the vehicle is switched so as to restrictthe number of usable speed steps of the transmission of the vehicle.However, if the system is constructed so that after this switching isperformed, the restriction of the number of speed steps of thetransmission can be released by depressing the 2nd-speed start switch,it sometimes happens that the control state that matches a selected modeof travel cannot be realized.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The invention provides vehicle operation method presentation device andmethod that improve the realizability at which a control state of thevehicle that matches a selected mode is realized by operating a switch.Besides, the invention provides a vehicle control device that preventsthe occurrence of control interference in conjunction with a controlstate of the vehicle for which both the automatic switching associatedwith the selection of a specific mode of travel and the manual switchingassociated with operation of a switch can be performed.

A first aspect of the invention provides a vehicle operation methodpresentation device that includes: travel mode selection means forselecting a mode of travel for a travel of a vehicle; control stateswitch means for realizing a vehicle control state recommended for theselected mode of travel upon operation of a control switch; and switchoperation method presentation means for presenting to a driver anoperation method for the control switch that is needed in order torealize the recommended control state by the control state switch means,when the travel mode selection means selects the mode of travel.

In this aspect, when a mode of travel is selected, an operation methodfor a control switch that is used in order to realize a control statethat is recommended for the selected mode of travel is presented to thedriver. If such an operation method is presented to the driver, itbecomes easy for the driver to operate the control switch so that thecontrol state recommended for the selected mode of travel is realized.Therefore, it becomes easier to realize the control state of the vehiclethat matches the selected mode of travel by operating the controlswitch, and therefore the realizability of the recommended control stateimproves.

The foregoing vehicle operation method presentation device may furtherinclude determination means for determining whether the recommendedcontrol state and an actual control state are the same as each other. Ifthe determination means determines that the recommended control stateand the actual control state are not the same, the switch operationmethod presentation means may present to the driver the operation methodfor the control switch that is needed to realize the recommended controlstate by the control state switch means.

As a result, in the case where there is a deviation between the controlstate recommended for the selected mode of travel and the actual controlstate, an operation method for the control switch that is needed inorder to realize the recommended control state is presented to thedriver. This improves the realizability of the control state of thevehicle that matches the selected mode of travel in the case where theactual control state does not match the selected mode of travel.

Besides, when a guidance switch is operated to an on-state, thedetermination means may determine whether or not the recommended controlstate and the actual control state are the same.

As a result, when the guidance switch is operated to the on-state, it isdetermined whether or not there is a deviation between the control staterecommended for the selected mode of travel and the actual controlstate. Then, if it is determined that there is a deviation therebetween,an operation method for a control switch which is needed in order torealize the recommended control state is presented to the driver.Therefore, this construction improves the realizability of the controlstate of the vehicle that matches the selected mode of travel in thecase where the actual control state does not match the selected mode oftravel when a predetermined guidance switch is operated to the on-state.

Besides, the vehicle operation method presentation device may furtherinclude vehicle operation method presentation means for presenting tothe driver an operation method for the vehicle that facilitatesrealization of the recommended control state by the control state switchmeans upon the operation of the control switch if the recommendedcontrol state is not realized by the control state switch means atelapse of a first predetermined time after the operation method for thecontrol switch is presented to the driver by the switch operation methodpresentation means.

As a result, if the control state recommended for a selected mode oftravel is not realized even when the first predetermined time elapsesafter an operation method for a control switch which is needed in orderto realize the recommended control state is presented, an operationmethod for the vehicle that facilitates the realization of the controlstate is presented to the driver. If such an operation method ispresented to the driver, it becomes easier for the driver to perform anoperation of the vehicle that should be performed in order to facilitatethe realization of the recommended control state upon the operation ofthe control switch. Therefore, it becomes easier to form a vehiclesituation that is effective in realizing the recommended control stateby operating the control switch. Therefore, the realizability of therecommended control state will further improve.

Besides, in the vehicle operation method presentation, if therecommended control state is not realized by the control state switchmeans at elapse of a second predetermined time after the operationmethod for the control switch is presented to the driver by the switchoperation method presentation means, the selected mode of travel may bereturned to a usual mode of travel by the travel mode selection means.

As a result, if the control state recommended for a selected mode oftravel is not realized even when the second predetermined time elapsesafter an operation method for a control switch for realizing therecommended control state is presented to the driver, the mode of travelis automatically switched back to the usual mode of travel. Therefore,the invention prevents a long-time continuation of a state in which thecontrol state of the vehicle does not switch to a state for which anoperation method for a control switch is presented or to the recommendedcontrol state as the control switch is not appropriately operated afterthe mode of travel is selected.

In the foregoing vehicle operation method presentation device, if avehicle speed is greater than a predetermined vehicle speed, theselected mode of travel may be returned to a usual mode of travel by thetravel mode selection means.

As a result, if the vehicle speed of the vehicle exceeds a predeterminedvehicle speed, the mode of travel is automatically switched back to theusual mode of travel. Therefore, this construction prevents theoccurrence of an event in which after the vehicle speed rises, thecontrol state of the vehicle switches to the control state recommendedup to that time point.

The control switch may be a transfer switch or a differential lockswitch for switching a drive method for a wheel.

A second aspect of the invention provides a vehicle control device thatincludes: manual control state switch means for switching a controlstate of a vehicle upon operation of at least one control switch; travelmode selection means for selecting a mode of travel for a travel of thevehicle; automatic control state switch means for automaticallyswitching the control state of the vehicle when the travel modeselection means selects a first mode of travel other than a usual modeof travel; and manual switching restriction means for restricting themanual control state switch means from switching the control state ofthe vehicle upon operation of a first control switch that is one of theat least one control switch, if the first mode of travel has beenselected by the travel mode selection means.

In the second aspect, the control state of the vehicle is switched uponoperation of a control switch, and is automatically switched to apredetermined control state if a first mode of travel other than theusual mode of travel is selected. However, in the case where the firstmode of travel is selected, the further switching of the control stateupon operation of a control switch is restricted. Therefore, it ispossible to make arrangement between the automatic switching of thecontrol state of the vehicle associated with the selection of a specificmode of travel and the manual switching thereof associated withoperation of a switch, and therefore the occurrence of controlinterference between the automatic switching and the manual switchingcan be prevented.

In the foregoing vehicle control device, even when the first mode oftravel has been selected by the travel mode selection means, the manualcontrol state switch means may be allowed to switch the control state ofthe vehicle upon operation of a switchable switch that is one of the atleast one control switch other than the first control switch.

As a result, when a mode of travel other than the usual mode of travelis selected, the switching of the control state of the vehicle uponoperation of a control switch other than the switchable switch isrestricted, but the switching of the control state of the vehicle uponoperation of the switchable switch is allowed.

The vehicle control device may further include restriction switchnotification means for informing the driver of the first control switchwhen switching of the control state by the manual control state switchmeans is restricted by the manual switching restriction means.

As a result, when a specific mode of travel is selected, the driver isinformed of a control switch whose function of switching the controlstate of the vehicle is restricted. Therefore, according to theinvention, it is possible to inform the driver of a control switch thatdoes not perform its function during a specific mode of travel.

The restriction switch notification means may inform the driver of thefirst control switch when the first control switch is operated.

This construction prevents the occurrence of an event in which theaction of informing the driver of the control switch that does notperform its function during a specific mode of travel is excessivelyperformed.

A third aspect of the invention provides a vehicle operation methodpresentation method that includes: selecting a mode of travel for atravel of a vehicle; realizing a vehicle control state recommended forthe selected mode of travel upon operation of a control switch; andpresenting to a driver an operation method for the control switch thatis needed in order to realize the recommended control state, when themode of travel is selected.

This method facilitates the realization of the control state of thevehicle that matches the selected mode of travel upon operation of thecontrol switch, and improves the realizability of that control state.Besides, this method prevents the occurrence of control interferencebetween the automatic switching of the control state of the vehicleassociated with the selection of a specific mode of travel and themanual switching thereof associated with operation of a switch.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The foregoing and further objects, features and advantages of theinvention will become apparent from the following description of exampleembodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein likenumerals are used to represent like elements and wherein:

FIG. 1 is a construction diagram of a vehicle-mounted system that is anembodiment of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a diagram representing the installation locations of variousswitches that are installed in a vehicle that is equipped with thevehicle-mounted system of an embodiment;

FIG. 3 is a diagram representing modes of travel that can be selected inan off-road guidance system of the embodiment;

FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing an example of a control routine that isexecuted in the off-road guidance system of the embodiment;

FIG. 5 is a diagram representing relations among the recommended drivefashions (or positions) of the vehicle, input data states, and contentsto be displayed for various modes of travel;

FIG. 6 is a diagram representing relations between the input data statesand the display contents in the case where the drive system of thevehicle is not in the recommended drive fashion;

FIG. 7 is a time chart of an example of the switching of the mode oftravel;

FIG. 8 is a flowchart of an example of a control routine that isexecuted in the off-road guidance system of the embodiment; and

FIG. 9 is a diagram representing relations between the conditions forinvalidating the input operation of each of individual function switchesduring the execution of a control of the off-road guidance and thecontents to be displayed at the time of the invalidation.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

Concrete embodiments of the invention will be described hereinafter withreference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a construction diagram of a vehicle-mounted system that is anembodiment of the invention. FIG. 2 shows a diagram representing thelocations of installation of various switches that are installed in avehicle that is equipped with the vehicle-mounted system of theembodiment. The vehicle-mounted system of the embodiment includes adrive system 10 that appropriately switches the state of engagement of adrive system of a vehicle according to a travel state of the vehicle,such as an off-road travel or the like, and an off-road guidance system12 that provides an operation assist for a driver who is not used to theoff-road travel. Incidentally, in this embodiment, the vehicle is of afull-time 4-wheel drive.

As shown in FIG. 1, the drive system 10 has a 4WD-ECU 14 that switchesthe drive method of the drive system of the vehicle, a VSC-ECU 16 thatperforms a behavior control of the vehicle, and a power train ECU 18that performs a second-speed start control. The ECUs 14 to 18 are eachconstructed mainly of a microcomputer, and are interconnected via acommunication bus 19.

The 4WD-ECU 14 is electrically connected to a transfer switch 20, acenter differential lock switch 22, a rear differential lock switch 24,a display system 26, and actuators 28. The transfer switch 20 is adial-type switch for selecting as the drive method of the drive systemone of a high range (H4) that is suitable for an ordinary travel of thevehicle, and a low range (L4) suitable for a travel that requires largerdrive force than the ordinary travel. The transfer switch 20 supplies asignal that indicates the H4 state or the L4 state to the 4WD-ECU 14.Incidentally, the transfer switch 20 is not limited to the dial-typeswitch, but may also be of a shift lever type. Besides, the centerdifferential lock switch 22 is an on/off switch for selecting either alocked state (H4L or L4L) or an unlocked state of a center differential.The center differential lock switch 22 supplies a signal that indicatesan on/off state to the 4WD-ECU 14. The rear differential lock switch 24is an on/off switch for selecting either the locked state or theunlocked state of a rear differential lock, and supplies a signal thatindicates the on/off state to the 4WD-ECU 14.

The display system 26 includes an L4 actuation indicator lamp, a centerdifferential lock (DL) actuation indicator lamp, and a rear differentiallock (RDL) actuation indicator lamp, and is provided within acombination meter disposed forward from a driver's seat. The L4actuation indicator lamp, the center differential lock actuationindicator lamp, and the rear differential lock actuation indicator lampof the display system 26 are individually turned on or blinked by acommand from the 4WD-ECU 14. Besides, the actuators 28 includes atransfer actuator that switches the drive method of the drive systembetween the H4 and the L4, a center differential lock actuator thatswitches the center differential lock between the locked state and theunlocked state, a rear differential lock actuator that switches the reardifferential lock between the locked state and the unlocked state, andare individually actuated by a command from the 4WD-ECU 14.

The VSC-ECU 16 is electrically connected to a VSC stop switch 30, anA-TRC stop switch 32, an AVS switch 34, a crawl main switch 36, a crawldial switch 38, a display system 40, and actuators 42. The VSC stopswitch 30 is an on/off switch for selecting a stop of engagement of acontrol (VSC control) of securing stability of the cornering behavior ofthe vehicle, and supplies a signal that indicates the on/off state tothe VSC-ECU 16. The A-TRC stop switch 32 is an on/off switch forselecting a stop of engagement of a control (A-TRC control) of securingbehavior stability at the time of acceleration associated withaccelerator operation, and supplies a signal that indicates the on/offstate to the VSC-ECU 16. Besides, the AVS switch 34 is an on/off switchfor selecting one of a normal mode suitable for ordinary travel and asport mode suitable for sport travel as the mode of the damping forcecontrol of a shock absorber, and supplies a signal that indicates theon/off state to the VSC-ECU 16.

The crawl main switch 36 is an on/off switch for selecting a control(crawl control) of causing the vehicle to travel at a constant lowvehicle speed (e.g., 1 km/h to 5 km/h) while restraining the wheel spinor lock to a minimum without involving the accelerator operation nor thebrake operation performed by the driver, and supplies a signal thatindicates the on/off state to the VSC-ECU 16. Besides, the crawl dialswitch 38 is a dial-type switch for switching the vehicle speed duringthe crawl control among a plurality of levels (e.g., three levels: a lowmode of 1 km/h, a medium mode of 3 km/h, and a high mode of 5 km/h), andsupplies a signal that indicates the state of the switch to the VSC-ECU16.

The display system 40 includes a VSC-OFF indicator lamp, a slipindicator lamp, an AVS sport indicator lamp, and a crawl controlactuation indicator lamp, and is provided within the combination meterdisposed forward from the driver's seat. The indicator lamps of thedisplay system 40 are individually turned on or blinked by a commandfrom the VSC-ECU 16. The actuators 42 include an engine actuator thatchanges the amount of fuel injection or the intake air amount, a brakeactuator that changes the amount of braking, and an absorber actuatorthat changes the hardness of a shock absorber, and are individuallyactuated by a command from the VSC-ECU 16.

The power train ECU 18 is electrically connected to a second-speed startswitch 50, a display system 52, and actuators 54. The second-speed startswitch 50 is an on/off switch for selecting the second-speed standingstart of the vehicle, and supplies a signal that indicates the on/offstate to the power train ECU 18. The display system 52 includes asecond-speed start engagement indicator lamp, and is provided within thecombination meter disposed forward from the driver's seat. The indicatorlamps of the display system 52 are turned on by a command from the powertrain ECU 18. The actuators 54 include the transmission of the vehicle,and are individually actuated by a command from the power train ECU 18.

Herein, the operation of the foregoing drive system 10 will be describedbelow.

The 4WD-ECU 14 determines whether the transfer switch 20 is at the H4 orthe L4, when the engine start/stop switch is in the ignition-on mode andthe transmission's select lever is at a neutral position and the vehicleis at a stop. Then, according to the result of the determination, thatis, the determined position (the H4 or the L4) of the transfer switch20, the 4WD-ECU 14 actuates the transfer actuator so that the drivemethod of the vehicle becomes the H4 or the L4.

In the case where the driver switches the transfer switch 20 from the H4to the L4, the 4WD-ECU 14 determines that the transfer switch 20 hasbeen switched from the H4 to the L4, and actuates the transfer actuatorso that the drive method of the vehicle switches from the H4 to the L4.In this case, the actuation of the transfer actuator switches the drivemethod of the vehicle from the H4 to the L4. Likewise, when the driverswitches the transfer switch 20 from the L4 to the H4, the 4WD-ECU 14determines that the transfer switch 20 has switched from the L4 to theH4, and actuates the transfer actuator so that the drive method of thevehicle switches from the L4 to the H4. In this case, the actuation ofthe transfer actuator switches the drive method of the vehicle from theL4 to the H4.

Besides, upon determining that the transfer actuator is performing aswitching action between the H4 and the L4, the 4WD-ECU 14 blinks the L4actuation indicator lamp of the display system 26. Upon determining thatthe switching of the drive method from the H4 to the L4 by the transferactuator has been completed, the 4WD-ECU 14 turns on the L4 actuationindicator lamp. Besides, upon determining that the switching of thedrive method from the L4 to the H4 by the transfer actuator has beencompleted, the 4WD-ECU 14 turns off the L4 actuation indicator lamp.Therefore, during the action of switching between the H4 and the L4, theL4 actuation indicator lamp is blinked. Then, after the switching to theL4 is completed, the L4 actuation indicator lamp is turned on. Or, afterthe switching to the H4 is completed, the L4 actuation indicator lamp isturned off.

Furthermore, when the engine start/stop switch is in the ignition-onmode and the vehicle speed is less than or equal to a predeterminedvalue (e.g., 100 km/h), the 4WD-ECU 14 determines whether the centerdifferential lock switch 22 is in the off-state or the on-state, andalso determines whether the rear differential lock switch 24 is in theoff-state or the on-state. If as a result it is determined that thecenter differential lock switch 22 is in the off-state or that it is inthe on-state, the 4WD-ECU 14 actuates the center differential lockactuator so that the center differential enters the unlocked state orthe locked state. Besides, if it is determined that the reardifferential lock switch 24 is in the off-state or that it is in theon-state, the 4WD-ECU 14 actuates the rear differential lock actuator sothat the rear differential enters the unlocked state or the lockedstate.

In the case where the driver turns on the center differential lockswitch 22 when the center differential is in the unlocked state, the4WD-ECU 14 determines that the center differential lock switch 22 hasswitched from the off-state to the on-state, and actuates the centerdifferential lock actuator so that the center differential switches fromthe unlocked state to the locked state. In this case, the actuation ofthe center differential lock actuator locks the center differential, sothat the front wheels and the rear wheels are directly coupled forintegral rotation.

On the other hand, in the case where the driver turns off the centerdifferential lock switch 22 when the center differential is in thelocked state, the 4WD-ECU 14 determines that the center differentiallock switch 22 has switched from the on-state to the off-state, andactuates the center differential lock actuator so that the centerdifferential switches from the locked state to the unlocked state. Inthis case, the actuation of the center differential lock actuatorunlocks the center differential, so that the direct coupling of thefront wheels and the rear wheel is released.

Besides, in the case where the driver turns on the rear differentiallock switch 24 when the rear differential is in the unlocked state, the4WD-ECU 14 determines that the rear differential lock switch 24 hasswitched from the off-state to the on-state, and actuates the reardifferential lock actuator so that the rear differential switches fromthe unlocked state to the locked state. In this case, the actuation ofthe rear differential lock actuator locks the rear differential, so thatthe left and right rear wheels are directly coupled for integralrotation.

On the other hand, in the case where the driver turns off the reardifferential lock switch 24 when the rear differential is in the lockedstate, the 4WD-ECU 14 determines that the rear differential lock switch24 has switched from the on-state to the off-state, and actuates therear differential lock actuator so that the rear differential switchesfrom the locked state to the unlocked state. In this case, the actuationof the rear differential lock actuator unlocks the rear differential, sothat the direct coupling of the left and right rear wheels is released.

Besides, upon determining that the center differential lock actuator orthe rear differential lock actuator is performing the action ofswitching between the unlocked state and the locked state, the 4WD-ECU14 blinks the center differential lock actuation indicator lamp or therear differential lock actuation indicator lamp of the display system26. Upon determining that the switching of the center differential tothe locked state by the center differential lock actuator or theswitching of the rear differential to the locked state by the reardifferential lock actuator has been completed, the 4WD-ECU 14 turns onthe center differential lock actuation indicator lamp or the reardifferential lock actuation indicator lamp. Besides, upon determiningthat the switching of the center differential to the unlocked state bythe center differential lock actuator or the rear differential to theunlocked state by the rear differential lock actuator has beencompleted, the 4WD-ECU 14 turns off the center differential lockactuation indicator lamp or the rear differential lock actuationindicator lamp.

Hence, during the action of switching between the unlocked state and thelocked state of the center differential or the rear differential, thecenter differential lock actuation indicator lamp or the reardifferential lock actuation indicator lamp is blinked. However, afterthe switching of the center differential or the rear differential to thelocked state is completed, the center differential lock actuationindicator lamp or the rear differential lock actuation indicator lamp isturned on. Or, after the switching of the center differential or therear differential to the unlocked state is completed, the centerdifferential lock actuation indicator lamp or the rear differential lockactuation indicator lamp is turned off.

The VSC-ECU 16 determines whether the VSC stop switch 30 is turned onand whether the A-TRC stop switch 32 is turned on, and also determineswhether the AVS switch 34 is in a state corresponding to the normal modeor a state corresponding to the sport mode, when the engine start/stopswitch is in the ignition-on mode.

In the case where the driver depresses the VSC stop switch 30 when theVSC control can be engaged, the VSC-ECU 16 determines that the VSC stopswitch 30 has switched from the off-state to the on-state, and restrictsthe actuation of the engine actuator and the brake actuator so that theVSC control is not executed but is stopped, and turns on the VSC-OFFindicator lamp of the display system 40. After this, therefore, theengagement of the VSC control using the engine actuator and the brakeactuator is stopped, and the VSC-OFF indicator lamp is turned on.

On the other hand, in the case where the driver depresses the VSC stopswitch 30 when the VSC control has been stopped from being engaged, theVSC-ECU 16 determines that the VSC stop switch 30 has switched from theon-state to the off-state, and release the restriction of the actuationof the engine actuator and the brake actuator so that the VSC controlwill be engaged again, and also turns off the VSC-OFF indicator lamp.After this, therefore, the engagement of the VSC control using theengine actuator and the brake actuator is permitted, and the VSC-OFFindicator lamp is turned off.

In the case where the driver depresses the A-TRC stop switch 32 when theA-TRC control is engageable, the VSC-ECU 16 determines that the A-TRCstop switch 32 has switched from the off-state to the on-state, and thatrestricts the actuation of the engine actuator and the brake actuator sothat the A-TRC control is not executed but is stopped, and turns on theslip indicator lamp. After this, therefore, the engagement of the A-TRCcontrol using the engine actuator and the brake actuator is stopped, andthe slip indicator lamp is turned on.

On the other hand, in the case where the driver depresses the A-TRC stopswitch 32 when the A-TRC control is stopped from being engaged, theVSC-ECU 16 determines that the A-TRC stop switch 32 has switched fromthe on-state to the off-state, and releases the restriction of theactuation of the engine actuator and the brake actuator so that theA-TRC control can be engaged again, and turns off the slip indicatorlamp. After this, therefore, the engagement of the A-TRC control usingthe engine actuator and the brake actuator is permitted, and the slipindicator lamp is turned off.

Besides, in the case where the driver depresses the AVS switch 34 whenthe damping force control of the shock absorber is in the normal mode,the VSC-ECU 16 determines that the switching of the AVS switch 34 hasbeen performed, and actuates the absorber actuator so that the dampingforce control switches from the normal mode to the sport mode, and turnson the AVS sport indicator lamp. In this case, the actuation of theabsorber actuator switches the damping force control of the shockabsorber to the sport mode, and causes the AVS sport indicator lamp toturn on.

On the other hand, in the case where the driver depresses the AVS switch34 when the damping force control of the shock absorber is in the sportmode, the VSC-ECU 16 determines that the switching operation of the AVSswitch 34 has been performed, and actuates the absorber actuator so thatthe damping force control switches from the sport mode to the normalmode, and also turns off the AVS sport indicator lamp. In this case, theactuation of the absorber actuator switches the damping force control ofthe shock absorber to the normal mode, and also causes the AVS sportindicator lamp to turn off.

Besides, the VSC-ECU 16 determines whether the crawl main switch 36 isturned on, and also determines which of the mode positions correspondingto the low mode (suitable for traveling on rocks, stones, etc), themedium mode (suitable for traveling down a slope of rubble and the likeor traveling over snow bumps and the like), and the high mode (suitablefor traveling up a slope of rubble and the like or traveling on snow,mud, mire, gravel, grass, etc.) is the present position of the crawldial switch 38, when the engine is running, the select lever of thetransmission is at a position other than the parking position and theneutral position, the transfer switch 20 is at the L4, the second-speedstart switch 50 is not in the second-speed standing start mode, and theparking brake has been released.

Then, in the case where the driver turns on the crawl main switch 36,the VSC-ECU 16 determines that the crawl main switch 36 has switchedfrom the off-state to the on-state. After that, the VSC-ECU 16 actuatesthe engine actuator and the brake actuator so that the crawl controlwill be executed, and also turns on the crawl control actuationindicator lamp, and blinks the slip indicator lamp. In this case, thecrawl control using the engine actuator and the brake actuator isengaged, and the crawl control actuation indicator lamp is turned on andthe slip indicator lamp is blinked. Incidentally, the VSC-ECU 16 engagesthe crawl control at a constant vehicle speed commensurate with the modeposition of the crawl dial switch 38.

On the other hand, in the case where during the engagement of the crawlcontrol, the driver turns off the crawl main switch 36, the VSC-ECU 16determines that the crawl main switch 36 has switched from the on-stateto the off-state. After that, the VSC-ECU 16 restricts the actuation ofthe engine actuator and of the brake actuator so that the crawl controlis stopped, and also turns off the crawl control actuation indicatorlamp, and the turns off the slip indicator lamp. In addition, theVSC-ECU 16 restricts the actuation of the engine actuator and the brakeactuator so that the crawl control is stopped, and turns off the crawlcontrol actuation indicator lamp and turns off the slip indicator lamp,also when during the engagement of the crawl control the transmission'sselect lever is switched to the parking position or the transfer switch20 is switched to the H4. In this case, the engagement of the crawlcontrol using the engine actuator and the brake actuator is stopped, andthe crawl control actuation indicator lamp is turned off, and the slipindicator lamp is turned off.

The power train ECU 18 determines whether the second-speed start switch50 is in the off-state or the on-state, when the engine start/stopswitch is in the ignition-on mode state. If, as a result, it isdetermined that the second-speed start switch 50 is in the off-state,the power train ECU 18 actuates the actuators 54 so that the standingstart of the vehicle is performed as usual, that is, with the firstspeed as an initial speed step.

Then, in the case where the driver turns on the second-speed startswitch 50, the power train ECU 18 determines that the second-speed startswitch 50 has switched from the off-state to the on-state, and actuatesthe actuators 54 so that the standing start of the vehicle is initiatedwith the second speed, and turns on the second-speed start engagementindicator lamp of the display system 52. In this case, the second-speedstanding start (second-speed start control) using the actuators 54 isexecuted, and the second-speed start engagement indicator lamp is turnedon.

On the other hand, in the case where during the second-speed start mode,the driver turns off the second-speed start switch 50, the power trainECU 18 determines that the second-speed start switch 50 has switchedfrom the on-state to the off-state, and releases the engagement of thesecond-speed start mode, so that the standing start of the vehicle willbe initiated with the first speed, and also turns off the second-speedstart engagement indicator lamp of the display system 52. In addition,the power train ECU 18 releases the second-speed start mode and turnsoff the second-speed start engagement indicator lamp, also when theengine start/stop switch is switched to the accessory mode state or thelock mode state. In this case, the first-speed standing start using theactuators 54 as a usual start is executed, and the second-speed startengagement indicator lamp is turned off.

FIG. 3 shows a diagram representing the modes of travel that can beselected in the off-road guidance system 12 of this embodiment.Incidentally, FIG. 3 shows a touch display displaying the selectswitches that allow the driver to select a desired mode of travel.

As shown in FIG. 1, the off-road guidance system 12 has an off-roadguidance ECU 60 that is constructed mainly of a microcomputer. Theoff-road guidance ECU 60 is connected for communication with theforegoing ECUs 14 to 18 via the communication bus 19, so that the ECUscan give and receive communication data to and from each other.

The off-road guidance ECU 60 is electrically connected to mode selectswitches 62 and an off-road guidance start switch 64. The mode selectswitches 62 and the off-road guidance start switch 64, as shown in FIG.3, are displayed on a multi-purpose display that is disposed, forexample, in a center panel, and that is visually recognizable andoperable by the driver, in such a manner that the displayed switches canbe operated by touching them. Incidentally, the switches 62, 64 are notlimited to those that are displayed on a display so as to be operable bytouching, but may also be disposed as hardware devices in the centerpanel or the center console or the like.

The mode select switches 62 are switches for selecting only one of aplurality of modes of travel at the time of a travel of the vehicle, forexample, switches that allow the selection of a mode from six modes oftravel that include a normal mode suitable for usual traveling, a deepsnow/mud road mode suitable for traveling on a deep snow or mud road, adesert mode suitable for traveling in a desert, a snow/sand/mud climbingmode suitable for traveling on uphill roads of snow, mud or sand, a snowbump mode suitable for traveling over snow bumps, and a rock/stone modesuitable for traveling on rocks and stones. Besides, the off-roadguidance start switch 64 is a switch that is pressed by the driver inorder to start the off-road guidance, and, for example, is an “ENTER”button shown in FIG. 3. Signals of the switches 62, 64 are supplied tothe off-road guidance ECU 60. Incidentally, FIG. 3 shows a state inwhich the deep snow/mud road mode has been selected as the mode oftravel.

The off-road guidance ECU 60 is also electrically connected to a displaysystem 66. The display system 66 is the foregoing multi-purpose display,and appropriately presents displays for the off-road guidance asdescribed above. The display screens of the multi-purpose display may beof any type as long as the screens are provided in a hierarchicalmanner. For example, the switches 62, 64 may be displayed at ahigher-level layer, and the screens of the display system 66 may bedisplayed at lower-level layers.

Hereinafter, basic operation of the off-road guidance system 12 will bedescribed with reference to FIGS. 4 to 7. FIG. 4 is a flowchart showingan example of a control routine that is executed by the off-roadguidance ECU 60 in the off-road guidance system 12 of this embodiment soas to realize basic operations. FIG. 5 is a diagram representingrelations among the recommended drive fashions (or positions) of thevehicle, input data states, and display contents for the various modesof travel. FIG. 6 is a diagram representing relations between the inputdata states and the display contents in the case where the drive systemof the vehicle is not in the recommended drive fashion. FIG. 7 is a timechart of an example of the switching of modes of travel.

In this embodiment, the off-road guidance ECU 60 is activated when theengine start/stop switch is switched from the off-mode to theignition-on mode. After being activated, the off-road guidance ECU 60displays the mode select switches 62 and the off-road guidance startswitch 64 on the multi-purpose display so that the switches can beoperated by touching. During an early period following the activation,the mode select switches 62 are in a state in which the normal mode hasbeen selected, and the selected normal mode is displayed in awhite-black inverted state.

On the precondition that the vehicle speed is less than or equal to apredetermined value (e.g., 8 km/h), the off-road guidance ECU 60determines whether the selected mode of travel has been switched byoperating the mode select switches 62 and the switching has beenfollowed by the pressing of the off-road guidance start switch 64 (step100). If this results in a negative determination, the present executionof the routine ends without any further process. However, if anaffirmative determination is made, it is considered that the vehicle isin a state in which the control of the off-road guidance needs to beexecuted, and it is subsequently determined whether or not the drivesystem of the vehicle is in a recommended drive fashion (step 102).

The off-road guidance ECU 60 has a storage device in which relationsamong the recommended drive fashions of the drive system of the vehicle,the input data states and the display contents for each mode of travelas shown in FIG. 5 are stored beforehand. For example, when the presentmode of travel is the desert mode, it is recommended that the drivemethod of the drive system be the H4 mode and the center differential bein the locked state (H4L). When the mode of travel is the snow/sand/mudclimbing mode, it is recommended that the drive method of the drivesystem be the L4 mode and the center differential be in the locked state(L4L).

The off-road guidance ECU 60 determines whether the recommended drivefashion of the drive system and the actual drive fashion are the same,that is, whether the drive system of the vehicle is in the recommendeddrive fashion (step 102), on the basis of the aforementioned relationstored in the storage device for the presently selected mode of travel,and the signals that are supplied from the 4WD-ECU 14 via thecommunication bus 19 and that indicate the states of the input switches20 to 24 and the states of the actuators 28.

For example, in a situation where the presently selected mode of travelis the snow bump mode, it is determined whether the transfer (or thetransfer device) is not in the L4 mode (the L4 state signal is OFF), thecenter differential is in the unlocked state (the center differentiallock state signal is OFF), or the rear differential lock is in thelocked state (the rear differential lock state signal is ON). Besides,in a situation where the selected mode of travel is the rock/stone mode,it is determined whether the transfer is not in the L4 mode (the L4state signal is OFF), the center differential is in the unlocked state(the center differential lock state signal is OFF), or the reardifferential lock is in the unlocked state (the rear differential lockstate signal is OFF).

In the case where it is determined that the drive system of the vehicleis not in the recommended drive fashion, the off-road guidance ECU 60switches the screen of the multi-purpose display of the display system66 to a lower level layer, and displays on the multi-purpose display theinformation about the recommended drive fashion of the drive system ofthe vehicle, that is, an operation method for the input switches 20 to24 for realizing the recommended drive fashion, thereby presenting theinformation and the operation method to the driver (step 104). Forexample, in the case where the drive system of the vehicle is not in therecommended drive fashion due to the center differential being in theunlocked state when the deep snow/mud road mode has been selected as themode of travel, the off-road guidance ECU 60 causes the display system66 to display characters that read “Please select H4L” as a guidancedisplay, so that the drive method of the drive system that is therecommended drive fashion becomes the H4 mode, and the centerdifferential enters the locked state, that is, so that the transferswitch 20 is selectively operated to the H4 mode state and the centerdifferential lock switch 22 is selectively operated to the locked state.

In the case where it is determined that the drive system of the vehicleis not in the recommended drive fashion, it is considered that theswitching of the mode of travel has not been completed, and thereforethe off-road guidance ECU 60 causes the display system 66 to display theselected mode of travel by blinking it, and sends out the modetransition signal indicating that the mode of travel is in thetransitional state, to the communication bus 19.

The off-road guidance ECU 60, after starting the guidance display of theinformation about the recommended drive fashion of the drive system (theoperation method for the switches 20 to 24), activates a drive switchguidance counter, and continues the guidance display for a predeterminedtime (e.g., 60 seconds) T1. Then, the off-road guidance ECU 60determines whether or not the switching operation to the recommendeddrive fashion of the drive system has been started, on the basis ofwhether or not, within the predetermined time T1, a change occurs in anyof the states of the input switches 20 to 24 supplied from the 4WD-ECU14 via the communication bus 19.

The 4WD-ECU 14 blinks the L4 actuation indicator lamp, the centerdifferential lock actuation indicator lamp, or the rear differentiallock actuation indicator lamp of the display system 26 while thecorresponding one or more of the actuators 28 are performing theswitching operation. Then, upon determining that the aforementionedswitching operation has been started, the off-road guidance ECU 60 stopsthe counting of a drive switch guidance counter, and stops the guidancedisplay on the multi-purpose display, and determines whether or not theswitching to the recommended drive fashion of the drive system has beencompleted on the basis of whether or not there is a change in thesignals that are supplied from the 4WD-ECU 14 via the communication bus19 and that show the states of the actuators 28 within a predeterminedtime T1 (step 106).

A storage device of the off-road guidance ECU 60 stores beforehandrelations between the input data states and the display contents in thecase where the drive system of the vehicle as shown in FIG. 6 is not inthe recommended drive fashion. For example, the locked state of thecenter differential is more easily realized if the vehicle isaccelerated or decelerated, or is reversed, and the L4 mode of thetransfer is more easily realized if the vehicle is stopped and thetransmission's select lever is operated to the neutral position, and thelocked state of the rear differential is more easily realized if thevehicle is slightly moved straight forward and then stopped.

Upon determining in step 106 that the switching of the drive system tothe recommended drive fashion was not completed within the predeterminedtime T1, the off-road guidance ECU 60 displays on the multi-purposedisplay a technique or a clue (an operation method for the vehicle) interms of operation which facilitates the realization of the recommendeddrive fashion, by referring to the foregoing relations stored in thestorage device, and thereby presents the technique or clue to thedriver, on the basis of the recommended drive fashion that has not beenrealized (step 108). For example, when although the center differentialneeds to be locked, the center differential lock actuation indicatorlamp of the display system 26 is blinking and the switching to thelocked state of the center differential has not been completed (when theDL indicator blinking request is on), the off-road guidance ECU 60displays, as a guidance, characters that read “Please accelerate ordecelerate, or reverse the vehicle” on the display system 66.

When the switching operation of the drive system to the recommendeddrive fashion is started, the off-road guidance ECU 60 activates aduring-drive-switch-blinking counter. Then, within a predetermined time(e.g., 300 seconds) T2 after the switching operation of the drive systemto the recommended drive fashion starts, the off-road guidance ECU 60determines whether or not the switching of the drive system to therecommended drive fashion has been completed on the basis of whether ornot there is a change in any of the signals that show the states of theactuators 28 and that are supplied from the 4WD-ECU 14 via thecommunication bus 19 (step 110). If, as a result, it is determined thatthe switching of the drive system to the recommended drive fashion wasnot completed within the predetermined time T2, the off-road guidanceECU 60 returns the selected mode of travel to the normal mode (step112), and causes the display system 66 to indicate the normal mode bylighting display, and sends a mode signal showing that the present modeof travel is the normal mode, to the communication bus 19.

Besides, in the case where it is determined in step 102 that the drivesystem is in the recommended drive fashion, in the case where it isdetermined in step 106 or 108 that the switching of the drive system tothe recommended drive fashion has been completed, the off-road guidanceECU 60 firmly determines the mode of travel to be the selected one, andcauses the display system 66 to indicate that mode of travel by lightingdisplay, and sends out the mode signal showing the mode of travel to thecommunication bus 19.

Thus, in the off-road guidance system 12 of this embodiment, therecommended drive fashion of the vehicle to be realized by operating theswitches 20 to 24 in the drive system 12 is set separately for each ofthe modes of travel selected via the mode select switches 62. In thecase where the drive system of the vehicle is not actually in therecommended drive fashion when the off-road guidance start switch 64 hasbeen pressed, it is considered that the drive system needs to beswitched to the recommended drive fashion, and therefore an operationmethod for the switches 20 to 24 is presented to the driver.

For example, in a situation where the deep snow/mud road mode has beenselected as the mode of travel, if when the off-road guidance startswitch 64 is pressed, the drive system of the vehicle is not in therecommended drive fashion as the transfer is in the L4 mode state or asthe center differential is in the unlocked state, the characters thatread “Please select H4L” are displayed as a guidance in the displaysystem 66 so that the drive method of the drive system is set to the H4mode and the center differential is set in the locked state, that is, sothat the transfer switch 20 is selectively operated to the H4 mode stateand the center differential lock switch 22 is selectively operated tothe lock state.

With such a guidance display produced, it becomes easier for the driverto operate the switches 20 to 24 so as to realize a drive fashion(operational positions of the transfer, the center differential, and therear differential) of the drive system that needs to be realized, forexample, on a deep snow road or a desert road, by merely looking at theguidance display, even if the driver does not know which drive fashionneeds to be realized. Therefore, according to the system of thisembodiment, the recommended drive fashion of the drive system of thevehicle that matches the mode of travel selected via the mode selectswitches 62 can easily be realized by operating the switches 20 to 24,and therefore the realizability of the recommended drive fashionaccording to the selected mode of travel will improve.

Incidentally, in this embodiment, in the case where the drive system ofthe vehicle is in the drive fashion that is recommended for the selectedmode of travel, there is no need for the driver to perform an operationof a switch, and therefore a guidance display as described above is notproduced. Therefore, it is possible to prevent unnecessary performanceof the guidance display, that is, the guidance display is performed onlywhen needed, that is, when the drive system is not in the recommendeddrive fashion. Thus, the realizability of the recommended drive fashionwill improve.

Furthermore, in the off-road guidance system 12 of this embodiment, ifafter the presentation of an operation method for the switches 20 to 24to the driver is started in order to realize the recommended drivefashion as described above, the predetermined time T1 elapses from thestarting time point of the presentation without completion of theswitching to the drive system to the recommended drive fashion, then anoperation method for the vehicle is presented to the driver so as tofacilitate the realization of the recommended drive fashion. Forexample, when the switching of the center differential to the lockedstate is not completed although the center differential needs to belocked (when the request for the DL indicator blinking is on), thecharacters that read “Please accelerate or decelerate, or reverse thevehicle” are displayed as a guidance in the display system 66.

With such a guidance display produced, the driver can relatively easilycarry out a vehicle operation that is to be performed in order tofacilitate the realization of the recommended drive fashion of the drivesystem upon operation of the switches 20 to 24, by looking at theguidance display, even if the driver does not have an intuition or knackin the vehicle operation technique, for example, in the switching of thecenter differential from the unlocked state to the locked state.Therefore, according to the system of this embodiment, it is possible tofacilitate the formation of a vehicle situation that is effective inrealizing the recommended drive fashion of the drive system of thevehicle by operating the switches 20 to 24. Therefore, the realizabilityof the recommended drive fashion according to the selected mode oftravel will further improve.

In this embodiment, if after an operation method for the switches 20 to24 is presented to the driver in order to realize the recommended drivefashion, the predetermined time T2 elapses following the start of theswitching operation of the drive system to the recommended drivefashion, without completion of the switching of the drive system to therecommended drive fashion, the selected mode of travel is automaticallyreturned to the normal mode. This prevents a long-time continuation of astate (uncompleted state) where the drive system does not switch to therecommended drive fashion after an operation method for the switches 20to 24 for realizing the recommended drive fashion commensurate with themode of travel having been selected has been presented to the driver.

Besides, in this embodiment, if the off-road guidance start switch 64 ispressed when the vehicle speed is greater than a predetermined value,the off-road guidance ECU 60 does not accept the switching operation,but determines that the vehicle is not in such a state that the off-roadguidance needs to be controlled and executed. If the vehicle speed isgreater than a predetermined value during transition of the mode oftravel after the control of the off-road guidance is started upon thepressing of the off-road guidance start switch 64, the selected mode oftravel may be automatically returned to the normal mode. Besides, inthis case, the off-road guidance ECU 60 may also display as a guidance,for example, the characters that read “Please stop the vehicle, andoperate the off-road guidance start switch again” on the multi-purposedisplay, so as to prompt the driver to go through the off-road guidanceagain.

According to this construction, it is possible to prevent the occurrenceof an event in which after the vehicle speed rises to a certain level,the drive system switches to the drive fashion recommended up to a timepoint immediately prior to the rising of the vehicle speed, and it isalso possible to prompt a new off-road guidance.

With reference to FIGS. 8 and 9, an operation of the off-road guidancesystem 12 that is different from the foregoing basic operation thereofwill be described. FIG. 8 shows a flowchart of an example of a controlroutine that the off-road guidance ECU 60 in the off-road guidancesystem 12 of this embodiment executes so as to realize the operation.FIG. 9 shows a diagram representing relations between the conditions forinvalidating the input operation during the execution of the control ofthe off-road guidance and the contents to be displayed at the time ofthe invalidation, separately for each of the individual functionswitches 30 to 38 and 50 in the drive system 10.

In this embodiment, the VSC-ECU 16 and the power train ECU 18 eachpre-store in their storage devices information regarding thepresence/absence of the engagement permission for each of the VSCcontrol, the A-TRC control, the damping force control of the shockabsorber, and the second-speed start control, and the contents of thecontrols corresponding to the engagement permissions, separately foreach of the modes of travel. For example, when the present mode oftravel is the deep snow/mud road mode, the VSC control and the A-TRCcontrol are both prohibited, and the normal mode of the damping forcecontrol is permitted, and the second-speed start control is permitted.On the other hand, when the present mode of travel is the desert mode,the VSC control, the A-TRC control and the second-speed start controlare prohibited, and the normal mode of the damping force control ispermitted.

Besides, the storage device of the VSC-ECU 16 pre-stores informationregarding the presence/absence of the engagement permission for thecrawl control and information regarding the set vehicle speedcorresponding to the engagement permission therefor. For example, whenthe present mode of travel is the deep snow/mud road mode, the crawlcontrol itself is prohibited. When the mode of travel is thesnow/sand/mud climbing mode, the high mode of the crawl control ispermitted to be engaged. When the mode of travel is the rock/stone mode,the low mode of the crawl control is permitted to be engaged.

Upon starting the off-road guidance control due to the selection of amode of travel other than the normal mode, the off-road guidance ECU 60sends a mode signal indicating the selected mode of travel, or a modetransition signal indicating that the mode of travel is in transition,to each of the ECUs 16, 18 via the communication bus 19.

When the ECUs 16, 18 are receiving the mode signal, or the mode signalindicating the mode of travel other than the normal mode, from theoff-road guidance ECU 60 (when an affirmative determination is made instep 200), it is considered that the off-road guidance control is beingexecuted, and therefore the ECUs 16, 18 invalidate the inputs of signalfrom the individual function switches 30 to 34, 50 (step 202). Forexample, the power train ECU 16 does not accept the switching-onoperation of the second-speed start switch 50, even if the operation isperformed. As a result, the VSC-ECU 16 maintains the stop of executionof the second-speed start control.

In the case where the ECUs 16, 18 receive the mode transition signalfrom the off-road guidance ECU 60 during the execution of a controlrelated to the operation of any of the individual function switches 30to 34, 50 (the VSC control, the A-TRC control, the damping force controlof the shock absorber in the sport mode, and the second-speed startcontrol), it is considered that the off-road guidance control has beenstarted, and therefore the ECUs 16, 18 stop the controls related to theoperations of the individual function switches 30 to 34, 50, and, fromthen on, invalidate the signal inputs that are made from the individualfunction switches 30 to 34, 50 (step 202).

In this construction, when the control of the off-road guidance is notexecuted, the input operations of the individual function switches 30 to34, 50 become valid as in a usual operation, so that the on/offswitching of the control by each of the input operations becomespossible. On the other hand, when the control of the off-road guidanceis executed, the input operations of the individual function switches 30to 34, 50 become invalid, so that the on/off switching of the control byeach of the input operations becomes impossible.

In the case of receiving the mode signal indicating a mode of travelother than the normal mode from the off-road guidance ECU 60, each ofthe ECUs 16, 18 refers to the information regarding the presence/absenceof the engagement permission for each of the VSC control, the A-TRCcontrol, the damping force control of the shock absorber, and thesecond-speed start control in that mode of travel which is pre-stored inthe storage device thereof, and divides the controls whose engagement ispermitted during that mode of travel and the controls whose engagementis restricted during the mode of travel, and, from then on, executes thecontrols whose engagement is permitted, and maintains the restriction ofthe engagement of the controls whose engagement is restricted. Forexample, when the present mode of travel is the deep snow/mud road mode,the second-speed start control is executed.

In the foregoing construction, during the execution of the off-roadguidance control after the switching of the drive system to therecommended drive fashion in relation with the selected mode of travelhas been completed every time any one of the modes of travel isselected, the various controls of the drive system 10 (the VSC control,the A-TRC control, the damping force control of the shock absorber, andthe second-speed start control) are executed with the predeterminedcontrol contents, or restricted from being executed, even if there is noinput operation of any one of the individual function switches 30 to 34,50.

Therefore, according to the system of this embodiment, during theexecution of the off-road guidance control after the switching of thedrive system to the recommended drive fashion in relation with theselected mode of travel that is other than the normal mode, theforegoing controls of the drive system 10 can be automatically executedor restricted from being executed according to the mode of travel, andthe switching of control based on the input operations of the individualfunction switches 30 to 34, 50 can be prohibited.

Therefore, during the execution of the off-road guidance control, it ispossible to prevent the occurrence of an event in which a travel stateof the vehicle that is not very suitable for the mode of travel isbrought about by the switching of control based on input operations ofthe individual function switches 30 to 34, 50, and to realize an optimumtravel state that corresponds to the selected mode of travel.Furthermore, in this case, it is possible to make arrangement betweenthe automatic switching of control associated with the selection of amode of travel other than the normal mode and the manual switchingassociated with any of the input operations of the individual functionswitches 30 to 34, 50, and it is therefore possible to prevent theoccurrence of control interference between the automatic switching andthe manual switching.

Furthermore, in the case where the ECU 16 receives the mode signalindicating a mode of travel other than the normal mode from the off-roadguidance ECU 60, the ECU 16 refers to the information regarding thepresence/absence of the engagement permission for the crawl controlwhich is pre-stored in the storage device, and determines whether or notthe engagement of the crawl control is permitted with respect to themode of travel indicated by the mode signal. Then, if an affirmativedetermination is made, the ECU 16 refers to the information regarding aset-vehicle speed mode of the crawl control which has been stored in thestorage device, and selects the set-vehicle speed mode for the time ofexecution of the crawl control, and establishes a state in which thecrawl control in the set-vehicle speed mode is permitted to be engaged.For example, when the mode of travel is the rock/stone mode, the crawlcontrol in the low mode is permitted to be engaged.

In the case where the ECU 16 has received the mode signal indicating amode of travel other than the normal mode from the off-road guidance ECU60, the ECU 16 invalidates the signal inputs from the crawl dial switch38, no matter which mode of travel is indicated by the signal. In thecase where the indicated mode of travel is a mode that prohibits theengagement of the crawl control, the ECU 16 invalidates the signalinputs from the crawl main switch 36. On the other hand, when the modeof travel is a mode that permits the engagement of the crawl control,the ECU 16 validates the signal inputs from the crawl main switch 36.

In this construction, in the case where the selected mode of travel is amode that permits the engagement of the crawl control, and where theswitching of the drive system to the recommended drive fashion inrelation with the mode of travel is completed, when during the followingexecution of the off-road guidance control the crawl main switch 36 isoperated to the on-state, the crawl control will be executed in aset-vehicle speed mode that is pre-determined with respect to the modeof travel.

Hence, according to the system of the embodiment, in the case where theselected mode of travel is a mode that permits the engagement of thecrawl control and where the switching of the drive system to therecommended drive fashion in relation with the mode of travel iscompleted, the switching of the crawl control based on the inputoperation of the crawl main switch 36 during the execution of theoff-road guidance control that follows the completion of the switchingto the recommended drive fashion, and thus the crawl control can beexecuted. Therefore, even during the execution of the off-road guidancecontrol, the vehicle can be caused to travel at a constant low vehiclespeed by the crawl control, depending on the selected mode of travel.

Incidentally, during the execution of the off-road guidance control, theinput operation of the crawl dial switch 38 becomes invalid, and themode switching of the crawl control by that input operation isprohibited. Therefore, the crawl control performed during the executionof the off-road guidance control is prevented from being arbitrarily seton the basis of the input operation of the crawl dial switch 38, and canbe performed in an optimum mode that corresponds to the selected mode oftravel.

In this embodiment, in a situation where the input operations of theindividual function switches 30 to 38, 50 are invalid during theexecution of the off-road guidance control as described above, when anyof the individual function switches 30 to 38, 50 whose input operationsare invalid is operated for input (step 204), the ECUs 16, 18 detectsthe operated one of the individual function switches 30 to 38, 50, andsends an operation prohibition signal indicating the identificationinformation of that switch 30 to 38, 50 and indicating that the inputoperation of the switch is invalid, to the off-road guidance ECU 60 viathe communication bus 19.

The storage device of the off-road guidance ECU 60 pre-stores relationsbetween the conditions for invalidating the input operations of theswitches 30 to 38, 50 and the contents to be displayed at the time ofinvalidation, separately for each of the individual function switches 30to 38, 50, as shown in FIG. 9.

Upon receiving the operation prohibition signal from the ECUs 16, 18,the off-road guidance ECU 60 firstly specifically determines the one ofthe switches 30 to 38, 50 whose input operation is invalidated, on thebasis of the identification information about the individual functionswitches 30 to 38, 50 that is contained in the operation prohibitionsignal. Then, on the basis of the specifically determined switch 30 to38, 50 and the relation stored in the storage device, the off-roadguidance ECU 60 specifically determines the content to be displayed forthe individual function switch 30 to 38, 50 whose input operation hasbeen invalidated, and displays the display content in the multi-purposedisplay of the display system 66, and thereby presents the content tothe driver (step 206). For example, the characters that read “The switchcannot be operated because the off-road guidance is on” are displayed asa guidance.

Thus, according to the system of this embodiment, those of theindividual function switches 30 to 38, 50 whose input operations areinvalidated during the execution of the off-road guidance control sothat the switching of control related to the switches is restricted canbe notified to the driver via the multi-purpose display of the displaysystem 66. Therefore, it becomes possible for the driver to know of oneor more individual function switches 30 to 38, 50 having stopped tofunction during the execution of the off-road guidance control, bylooking at the display screen.

Besides, the presentation to the driver an individual function switch 30to 38, 50 whose input operation has been invalidated is performed onlywhen the driver presses that individual function switch as an inputoperation, and is performed with respect to the one of the switches 30to 38, 50 whose input operation has actually been performed. Therefore,it is possible to prevent excessive performance of such presentation ofan individual function switch 30 to 38, 50 to the driver, and alsoprevent drawbacks (troublesomeness, or difficulty in understanding)associated with the simultaneous presentation of two or more of theswitches 30 to 38, 50 irrespective of the presence/absence of an actualinput operation.

Incidentally, in the foregoing embodiment, the transfer switch 20, thecenter differential lock switch 22, and the rear differential lockswitch 24 may each be regarded as a “control switch” in the invention,and the drive method of the vehicle drive system, the centerdifferential, and the rear differential may each be regarded as a“control state of the vehicle” in the invention, and the off-roadguidance start switch 64 may be regarded as a “guidance switch” in theinvention, and the predetermined time T1 may be regarded as a “firstpredetermined time” in the invention, and the predetermined time T2 maybe regarded as a “second predetermined time” in the invention, and thenormal mode may be regarded as a “usual mode of travel” in theinvention.

Besides, in the foregoing embodiment, “control state switch means” inthe invention may be realized by the 4WD-ECU 14 switching the drivemethod of the vehicle upon operation of the transfer switch 20, orswitching the center differential of the vehicle between the lockedstate and the unlocked state upon operation of the center differentiallock switch 22, or switching the rear differential of the vehiclebetween the locked state and the unlocked state upon operation of therear differential lock switch 24. The off-road guidance ECU 60 selectinga mode of travel automatically or upon operation of the mode selectswitches 62 may realize “travel mode selection means” in the invention.Besides, the off-road guidance ECU 60 may realize “determination means”in the invention by executing the process of step 102 in the routineshown in FIG. 4, and may realize “switch operation method presentationmeans” in the invention by executing the process of step 104, and mayrealize “vehicle operation method presentation means” by executing theprocess of step 108.

Besides, in the foregoing embodiment, the individual function switches30 to 38, 50 each may correspond to a “control switch” in the invention,and the switches 30 to 34, 38, 50 each correspond to a “first controlswitch” described in the claims for patent, and the crawl main switch 36corresponds to a “switchable switch” in the invention, and theengagement permissions and the engagement restrictions of the VSCcontrol, the A-TRC control, the damping force control of the shockabsorber, the crawl control, and the second-speed start control eachcorrespond to a “control state of the vehicle” in the invention.

In the foregoing embodiment, the ECUs 16, 18 may realize “manual controlstate switch means” in the invention by switching between the engagementpermission and the engagement restriction of each control upon operationof one or more of the individual function switches 30 to 38, 50.Besides, the off-road guidance ECU 60 may realize “travel mode selectionmeans” in the invention by selecting a mode of travel automatically orupon operation of the mode select switches 62. Furthermore, the ECUs 16,18 may realize “automatic control state switch means” in the inventionby switching between the engagement permission and the engagementrestriction of each control by a command from the off-road guidance ECU60. The ECUs 16, 18 may also realize “manual switching restrictionmeans” in the invention by executing the process of step 202 in theroutine shown in FIG. 8, and may realize “restriction switchnotification means” in the invention by executing the process of step206.

Incidentally, in the foregoing embodiment, the modes of travel that canbe selected by the mode select switches 62 are six modes of travel,including the normal mode. However, it suffices to use at least twomodes of travel, and a further mode, besides the six modes, may also beadded and used.

Besides, in the foregoing embodiment, the individual function switcheswhose input operations are appropriately made invalid are the VSC stopswitch 30, the A-TRC stop switch 32, the AVS switch 34, the crawl mainswitch 36, the crawl dial switch 38, and the second-speed start switch50. However, a construction in which only one or more of those switchesare used may also be adopted, or a further switch that performs anotherfunction may also be added and used.

Besides, in the foregoing embodiment, the off-road guidance is performedby displaying characters in the multi-purpose display of the displaysystem 66. However, the off-road guidance may also be performed bydisplaying on the multi-purpose display, for example, a picture or asolid figure of the transfer, arrows indicating the recommended drivefashion or position in which the transfer needs to be set, or theoperating direction, etc.

Besides, although in the foregoing embodiment, the off-road guidance isvisually performed by using the multi-purpose display of the displaysystem 66, the off-road guidance may also be aurally performed by usinga speaker independently or in combination with the simultaneous use ofthe visual display. For example, a guidance of “Please select L4L” orthe like may be produced aurally, and furthermore a guidance of “Pleaseset the transfer to the L4 mode, and set the center differential lockswitch to the locked state” or the like may also be aurally produced.

While some embodiments of the invention have been illustrated above, itis to be understood that the invention is not limited to details of theillustrated embodiments, but may be embodied with various changes,modifications or improvements, which may occur to those skilled in theart, without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

The invention claimed is:
 1. A vehicle control device comprising: amanual control state switch portion that switches a control state of avehicle upon operation of at least one control switch including avehicle stability control (VSC) stop switch, an automatic tractioncontrol (A-TRC) stop switch, a second-speed start switch, and ananti-vibration system (AVS) switch, the VSC being a control of securingstability of a cornering behavior of the vehicle, the A-TRC being acontrol of securing behavior stability at a time of accelerationassociated with an accelerator operation, and the AVS being a control ofa damping force control of a shock absorber; a travel mode selectionportion that selects a mode of travel for a travel of the vehicle; anautomatic control state switch portion that automatically switches thecontrol state of the vehicle when the travel mode selection portionselects a first mode of travel other than a usual mode of travel, thefirst mode of travel being a mode for off-road travel; and a manualswitching restriction portion that restricts the manual control stateswitch portion from switching the control state of the vehicle uponoperation of a first control switch that is one of the at least onecontrol switch, if the first mode of travel has been selected by thetravel mode selection portion.
 2. The vehicle control device accordingto claim 1, wherein even when the first mode of travel has been selectedby the travel mode selection portion, the manual control state switchportion is allowed to switch the control state of the vehicle uponoperation of a switchable switch that is one of the at least one controlswitch other than the first control switch.
 3. The vehicle controldevice according to claim 1, further comprising a restriction switchnotification portion that informs the driver of the first control switchwhen switching of the control state by the manual control state switchportion is restricted by the manual switching restriction portion. 4.The vehicle control device according to claim 3, wherein the restrictionswitch notification portion informs the driver of the first controlswitch when the first control switch is operated.
 5. The vehicle controldevice according to claim 2, wherein the switchable switch includes acrawl main switch for selecting a crawl control, and the first controlswitch includes a crawl dial switch for setting vehicle speed duringcrawl.
 6. The vehicle control device according to claim 1, wherein thetravel mode selection portion is a portion other than the VSC stopswitch, the A-TRC stop switch, the second-speed start switch, and theAVS switch.
 7. A vehicle control device comprising: circuitry configuredto: switch a control state of a vehicle upon operation of at least onemanual control switch including a vehicle stability control (VSC) stopswitch, an automatic traction control (A-TRC) stop switch, asecond-speed start switch, and an anti-vibration system (AVS) switch,the VSC being a control of securing stability of a cornering behavior ofthe vehicle, the A-TRC being a control of securing behavior stability ata time of acceleration associated with an accelerator operation, and theAVS being a control of a damping force control of a shock absorber;accept selection of a mode of travel for a travel of the vehicle;automatically switch the control state of the vehicle when selection ofa first mode of travel other than a usual mode of travel is accepted,the first mode of travel being a mode for off-road travel; and restrictthe switching of the control state of the vehicle upon operation of afirst control switch, that is one of the at least one manual controlswitch, if the first mode of travel has been selected.